Gone Boating
by badly-knitted
Summary: How better to spend a sunny day off than messing about in boats? Written for fic promptly.


**Title:** Gone Boating

**Author:** badly-knitted

**Characters:** Ryo, Dee, OCs.

**Rating:** PG

**Setting: **After Like Like Love.

**Summary:** How better to spend a sunny day off than messing about in boats?

**Word Count:** 1205

**Written For:** My own prompt 'FAKE, Dee/Ryo, taking an unintentional dip,' at fic_promptly.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

.

Even though Ryo and Dee owned their own boat, moored at a New York marina, a big forty-foot cabin cruiser that they took out on the ocean whenever the opportunity arose, that didn't prevent them from indulging their love of boats and the water in more modest, or sometimes more adventurous, ways. Over the years they'd been white water kayaking more than once, taken a river cruise, and vacationed on a narrowboat, travelling along the canals of Britain, which both men would happily do again. It had proven a much more restful way of seeing part of the country than their driving holiday had been.

They were only getting one day off this week, however. Their other assigned day of leisure would instead be spent in court, so there wasn't time to go out on their cruiser, but they didn't want to waste the good weather either, meaning they had to find something else to do that would be fun and relaxing. So here they were, bobbing about in a rowboat on Central Park's boating lake.

Dee was at the oars because Ryo's ribs were still a little sore from having a suspect slam a door on him a few days earlier. They weren't broken or even cracked, just bruised, and Ryo could've managed the oars if he'd needed to, but Dee had insisted that he rest, and Ryo wasn't about to argue. He was perfectly happy to lounge in the bows of the small craft, trailing one hand in the water, and watching the other boaters. Some of them were so bad at rowing they were almost going around in circles, while others were pulling fast and hard as if they thought they were in some sort of race.

For his part, Dee was rowing leisurely there being no reason to hurry. The sun was shining, the weather was warm without being too hot, and after this they'd probably take a stroll to one of the sidewalk cafés for lunch. If they were going to be stuck in a stuffy courtroom for most of the next day, it only made sense to get as much fresh air and sunshine as they could today. Chores could wait too; storms were forecast for much of the following week so there'd be plenty of time to get them done then, when the weather wasn't conducive to outings.

"This is nice," Ryo said, smiling contentedly. "I can't believe we've never done it before."

"You're forgettin' about that time on vacation in England when we found…"

Ryo cut him off; this was neither the time nor the place to talk about that long ago murder. He didn't want anything spoiling their day of leisure. "I haven't forgotten, I just mean it's our first time boating together here. We should do it more often."

"We should, there are definitely worse ways of spendin' a relaxin' morning. Any particular direction you wanna go?"

Ryo looked around him and shook his head. "Nope! As long as we don't crash into any of the other boats, I'm good."

"Like that's gonna happen! I know what I'm doin'."

"Which is more than can be said of some of the people our here," Ryo chuckled, gesturing to a young couple who were each holding one oar and trying with a spectacular lack of success to coordinate their strokes. It didn't help that they were laughing so hard half the time the oar blades didn't even touch the water.

"Ah, leave 'em be," Dee said with a grin. "They can't row for shit but they're havin' a good time. They're not the ones we have to worry about." He jerked his chin towards their left, where a boat containing a couple and their two children was rocking from side to side, the kids clinging on while their parents yelled at each other, shattering the pleasant atmosphere with their argument.

"Maybe we should go over there and threaten to arrest them for disturbing the peace," Ryo joked.

"Don't think we'll have to." The man, having had more than enough of his other half's criticisms was pulling hard for the jetty. That was one family not enjoying their day out.

Dee rowed the length of the lake and then back again while Ryo enjoyed watching the muscles in his lover's arms flex with every powerful stroke of the oars. The sun glinted off Dee's jet-black hair, and his white t-shirt fairly glowed against his tanned skin. It was no wonder a group of girls on the lakeshore kept staring their way and waving; Dee was a glorious sight.

"Wanna go around again, or are you ready for lunch?" Dee asked as they drifted unhurriedly back towards where they'd started from.

"Lunch, definitely," Ryo said. "I'm hungry. We can always come back here later if we feel like it."

"Good point." Dee dipped the oars, turning the small craft towards the jetty, and expertly pulling it alongside. Ryo rose to his feet, picking up the mooring rope, preparing to step up onto the worn wooden boards and tie up their boat. It was nothing he hadn't done before, and it should have been perfectly straightforward this time, but…

"Hey, looks like those girls that were watchin' us are comin' over," Dee said.

"What?" Ryo turned his head to look just as he went to step over the side of the boat, caught his foot on it, and as he was thrown off balance the boat tipped and skittered away from the jetty. The next thing he knew he was in the water. He surfaced spluttering, still holding the rope, to find Dee doubled up with laughter.

"Nice dive, babe, but I've seen ya do better. I'll give it a five; what it lacked in style it made up for in content."

Looking up into his lover's face, Ryo couldn't help laughing too. Not even a fully clothed dip in the lake was going to spoil his good mood. "I hadn't planned on going swimming today!"

Shipping the oars, Dee grabbed hold of the jetty, pulling the boat alongside and jumping out before reaching down to give Ryo a hand. Scrambling up to join his partner, Ryo solemnly handed Dee the mooring rope, setting them both off laughing again.

"I can't believe you kept hold of it!"

"I couldn't let the boat drift away."

The girls on the shore were laughing too, Dee noticed from the corner of his eye, and he looped one arm around Ryo's waist, pulling him in close.

"Dee! You'll get all wet too!" Ryo protested.

"Don't care; I'll dry out." Dee leaned in for a kiss, knowing the girls were still watching, letting them know that he and Ryo were both already taken. When the kiss ended, Dee tied off the boat and took Ryo's hand. "C'mon, babe. With any luck you'll be mostly dry by the time we get to the café."

"Yeah. It's a good thing I left my phone at home. Dunking it in the water wouldn't have done it much good."

"It's almost like you knew you'd be takin' a swim!"

Relaxed and laughing, the two men strolled away across the grass, leaving a disappointed group of girls behind, already forgotten.

.

The End


End file.
